Research: Gilbert & Boulter (1998) Critical teaching ideas consistency with other scientific models (the model of an atom is the same for atoms in metal as it is for atoms found within a biological cell the biological cell is another scientific model).consistency across contexts (the model of an atom is the same when considering an atom of lead or an atom of gold).predictive power (the testing of predictions derived from the model is fundamental in establishing the robustness of the model).explanatory power (a model that contributes nothing to explanations is of very little value).The most useful scientific models will possess: consensus models (an expressed model that has been subjected to testing by scientists and consensus reached that the model has merit, for example The Big Bang Model).expressed models (a version of a mental model that is expressed by an individual through action, speech or writing such as in a diagram).mental models (a representation of a complicated idea, for example how we think of an abstract idea like atoms).

It is helpful to categorise scientific models as: However, scientific models are not created to be factual statements about the world. The models scientists create need to be consistent with our observations, inferences and current explanations. Scientists seek to identify and understand patterns in our world by drawing on their scientific knowledge to offer explanations that enable the patterns to be predicted. Research: Gilbert, Boulter & Rutherford (1998), Gilbert & Rutherford (1998), Grosslight, Unger, Jay & Smith (1991), Harrison & Treagust (2000), Nussbaum & Novick, (1981), Saari & Viiri (2001), Treagust, Chittleborough & Mamiala (2002) Scientific viewĪ scientific model is a physical and/or mathematical and/or conceptual representation of a system of ideas, events or processes.

Few students are aware of the importance science places on testing and refining models to build better understandings of the processes they seek to explain. This notion might be reinforced by the everyday use of such terms as ‘computer modelling’ and student experiences of computer game simulations.Ī more advanced view, rarely encountered among upper primary/lower secondary students, is that testing ‘models’ (the act of testing for ‘fit’) can lead to their redesign to give improved predictions. They recognise that ‘models’ can also be used to test ideas and processes in ways that may be impossible to do in the real world. Some students have the more developed view that ‘models’ can be more than just physical representations of objects. This is important in understanding student everyday experiences with models.įor more information on introducing scientific terms, see the focus idea In such cases, students rarely look beyond the surface similarities between the model and the object or idea being represented by the model (that is, the question, 'Does it look like X?' will be the way the value of a model of X is judged).Īs with many areas of science, the science meaning for the term ‘model’ differs from the everyday usage of the word. Students often think of models as useful because they are copies (or even scale reproductions) of actual objects or actions. ‘model cars’, ‘model airplanes’, ‘model railways’). This is broadly consistent with the everyday meaning of ‘model’ (e.g. Many younger students think of models as either toys or simple copies of reality. Contrasting student and scientific viewsĬontrasting student and scientific views Student everyday experiences.

Science model for class 10 physics